Ted Cruz

[Trogdor]

he's too extreme to get elected on the national level. I did not vote for him in the primaries though

Exactly this! There are things that I like about him, and things that I think he's a complete idiot for. But he's very polarizing. It might work well in a place with the right demographic, but not in a national election.

[tpunx99GSX]

https://www.facebook.com/mcmorrisrodgers/photos/a.405156824771.195673.321618789771/10153225909544772/?type=1 oh and here is the post they are talking about with teh comments.

[AwdGSX13]

I'm all for equal healthcare and helping those who need it, but when it affects me and what i have to pay that's absurd. My deductible doubled to 3k! 6k for families!! And my premiums have constantly gone up. Now i know you can argue that they would have gone up anyway. But the initial raise of 20% is ridiculous.

So yes i'm sure there are many happy customers, but there is two sides to the fence.

[jeremy1375]

^ The roll out so far of the ACA certainly hasn't been perfect, but it's still not fully implemented. In 2014, the provision kicked in which requires insurance companies to accept a customer whether or not they have a pre-existing condition (ie cancer) as well as not charge the customer extra.

The full penalty for not having health insurance doesn't fully kick in until 2016, so the penalty is still relatively small for not having it. I would bet that those who still choose to not have insurance will change their minds once the penalty is fully implemented. That should bring insurance costs down more.

In the meantime, you are still getting a better value for your insurance, because if you or your family contract a serious disease like cancer, you can maintain insurance to pay for it.

[goodhart]

Anyone think Ted Cruz would have traded 5 senior Taliban leaders for a known traitor ?

[Kracka]

Anyone think Ted Cruz would have traded 5 senior Taliban leaders for a known traitor ?
Negative Ghostrider.

[jeremy1375]

Anyone think Ted Cruz would have traded 5 senior Taliban leaders for a known traitor ?

Oh how fun, the speculation game. Anyone think Reagan would secretly facilitate the sale of arms to Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo to secure the release of hostages and then divert the profits of said sales to Nicaraguan rebels?

I bet you'd speculate no, but he did. But Cruz, of course he and his Goldman Sachs VP wife are about pure goodness.

[tpunx99GSX]

Oh how fun, the speculation game. Anyone think Reagan would secretly facilitate the sale of arms to Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo to secure the release of hostages and then divert the profits of said sales to Nicaraguan rebels?

I bet you'd speculate no, but he did. But Cruz, of course he and his Goldman Sachs VP wife are about pure goodness.

Anyone think a president would start a war with a country under the guise of looking for WMDs with no proof and no help from the UN, Invade the wrong country as retaliation for the attacks of 9/11 and destabilizing the entire region, using private companies with no accountability to torture prisoners against the Geneva convention, all the while fighting two wars that we couldnt afford because the housing boom was ready to blow up that ended up destroying the economy? yeah that happened too.

[tpunx99GSX]

^ The roll out so far of the ACA certainly hasn't been perfect, but it's still not fully implemented. In 2014, the provision kicked in which requires insurance companies to accept a customer whether or not they have a pre-existing condition (ie cancer) as well as not charge the customer extra.

The full penalty for not having health insurance doesn't fully kick in until 2016, so the penalty is still relatively small for not having it. I would bet that those who still choose to not have insurance will change their minds once the penalty is fully implemented. That should bring insurance costs down more.

In the meantime, you are still getting a better value for your insurance, because if you or your family contract a serious disease like cancer, you can maintain insurance to pay for it.
There was a recent article from the CBO that stated the costs of the ACA are actually lower than expected. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/04/14/lower-premiums-yes-really-drive-down-obamacares-expected-costs-cbo-says/

[jeremy1375]

There was a recent article from the CBO that stated the costs of the ACA are actually lower than expected. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/04/14/lower-premiums-yes-really-drive-down-obamacares-expected-costs-cbo-says/

They go back and forth on the issue. I believe the 2015 revision says it will cost more than expected. The bottom line is they won't know for sure until the whole thing is implemented. The individual mandate needs to be in full effect before the whole thing can work. Once that kicks in and the "invincibles" start either buying the insurance or paying the penalty for not having it, we will start to see the thing really work. I suspect that it's no accident that it fully kicks in in 2016.

Republicans are talking about needing to come up with a replacement for the ACA. The fact that they recently threatened to shutdown Homeland Security is good evidence that they lack foresight and are playing checkers instead of chess. They simply will not be able to come up with any type of health reform that requires insurance companies to accept and not penalize customers with pre-existing conditions without also having something like an individual mandate. If they believe they can, they don't understand basic math.

This is my prediction that I came up with all by myself. In 2016 the individual mandate will come into full effect and and insurance rates will begin to come into line in time for the elections. Republican promises to dismantle it when they win will encounter huge problems when it's realized that thousands of people with serious diseases will lose their health insurance on the Republicans plan.